


games of the weekend (we just don’t care)

by baneberries



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Dating, Diners, Fluff, KindOfACriminal!Bucky, M/M, Meet-Ugly, Pining, Poor!Steve, Robbery, The Purge AU, but it’s really mild, title from lorde’s ‘sober’
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-10-01
Packaged: 2019-07-23 08:55:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16155788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baneberries/pseuds/baneberries
Summary: Steve swallows. “I don’t—”Bucky cuts him off, voice suddenly growing serious, urgent, even. “In a game with no consequences,” he says slowly, as if Steve’s answer held the secrets of the universe. “Why are you still on the good side?”aka the purge au no one asked for





	games of the weekend (we just don’t care)

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [Игры выходного дня](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17607773) by [WTF_Starbucks_2019](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WTF_Starbucks_2019/pseuds/WTF_Starbucks_2019)



> title from lorde’s “sober”. this is a the purge au because i felt like it. this is also loosely based on a tumblr post so if you notice anything familiar, it’s probably from that.

Steve runs up to the door, slowing his breathing and clamping his hands over his mouth. He pushes back a sob that threatens to bubble out from in between his lips. This wasn’t how his Saturday night was meant to go. He was meant to invite some friends over and watch some movies while eating popcorn. Instead, he was running away from those same friends who were carrying guns and knives while jeering at him.

 

He had forgotten that it was the night of The Purge.

 

He types the code in the electric door with shaking hands. When he hears the clicking noise, he slips in and shuts it, sighing with relief. No one can get in now. All he had to do was stay alive until 7pm and he’ll be fine. The place he found himself in is damp and sort of warm. The walls are gray and he assumes that there are other rooms, even though he hasn’t gone into any of the other ones.

 

“ _Boo_.”

 

Steve shrieks and jumps backwards, his back slamming against the door. He whimpers and tries to stifle another sob. He hadn’t counted on anyone being in the other side of the door.

 

The man who had whispered “ _boo_ ” had long hair and blue eyes that sparkled with amusement. Steve’s eyes immediately zeroed in on the revolver in the man’s hand. He slowly put his hands up, palms facing him. He was too busy running away from his ‘friends’ to grab a weapon.

 

“Hands are up,” the man nods approvingly, his gun pointed at him. “ _Very_ good. Wallet. Now. Turn around so I can see you grab it.”

 

Steve slowly turns around and takes the wallet out of his back pocket. 

 

The man snorts. “You’re _too_ good at this,” he says, grinning. “Gotten robbed before?” He’s awfully flippant for a robber. 

 

Maybe it was supposed to be a rhetorical question but Steve answered anyways. It might be good to get on the man with a gun’s good side. “Yeah, twice before. I’m very rob-able. They always gave my wallet back, though.”

 

“Why’s that?” The man is flipping through the walls of his wallet. His hand slows. “Wait, don’t tell me, I know the answer already. My dude, my bro,” his eyes are wide and very, very blue. “You literally have nothing in here. What the _fuck_? Are you okay?” 

 

Steve shrugs. “I’m poor?”

 

“Poor,” the man blinks twice. “ _Poor_.” He says again, voice hollow.

 

“That’s what I said.”

 

“Smartass,” the man tosses his wallet back to him, but he’s looking at him with interest. It’s starting to get concerning. “Come with me.”

 

Steve barely manages to catch it, almost tripping over his feet. The man didn’t seem to notice him nearly face planting on the floor. “No,” he responses stubbornly. “You’ll probably kill me— or do something with me, I don’t know.”

 

“Fair enough,” the man nods again. “It’s good to have some sense of self preservation,” the little dig is obvious. “The name’s Bucky Barnes.”

 

“Bucky,” he tries it on his tongue. It sounds quite nice. “Is it some kind of code-name?”

 

Bucky looks up and down at him for a moment before saying wryly, “Yeah, it is one, my mother gave it to me.”

 

He winces. “I’m sorry?”

 

“You don’t you exactly sound it,” he didn’t sound particularly pleased about how this night was going but he didn’t touch on it. “I have cash in the back. You can come as long as you promise not to kill me.”

 

“I’m not going to kill you.” Steve says quickly, even though he knows his words will have little effect. You’re not meant to trust people in The Purge.

 

Bucky tilts his head to the side. “Why not?”

 

Is he serious? Steve can’t even think about how someone could talk about murder— no, his own murder— so casually. Didn’t he get a talk about how you’re not meant to kill people? Steve knew that just because it was legal, doesn’t mean it’s right. He’s had that ingrained in his mind since the beginning. You can’t take another life, you can’t snuff out someone else’s candle of light. You didn’t have the right, no one had that right. 

 

Steve swallows. “I don’t—”

 

Bucky cuts him off, voice suddenly growing serious, urgent, even. “In a game with no consequences,” he says slowly, as if Steve’s answer held the secrets of the universe. “Why are you still on the good side?”

 

He chews his lower lip. Bucky did have a point. What would Steve had to lose if he took another life? His humanity, his memories would be tainted and so would he. He would never sleep again, every time he opened his eyes he would see the blood on his hands and know exactly what he did. 

 

“Being mean makes me feel bad.” He says simply and Bucky bursts into laughter.

 

“You’re hilarious,” he wipes his eyes dramatically before leaning against the wall. “My friend’s would _love_ you. They’re brilliant, Nat and Sam. What’s your name, by the way?”

 

“Steve Rogers.”

 

“Steve Rogers, you’re brilliant,” he discards his gun and reaches behind him to grab something. He pushes it across the table. “Sandwich. Eat.”

 

He takes a step back. “No, thank you.”

 

“Eat,” he insists. “You’re too skinny.”

 

“It might be poisoned.” His argument was weak, but he really couldn’t accept food, not when Bucky promised him money.

 

Bucky shakes his head, peels back a little of the cling film, rips off a bit and shoves it into his mouth, chewing enthusiastically. “See? Not poisonous. Besides, ‘being mean makes me feel bad.’” He mocks before bursting into laughter again.

 

“It’s really not that funny.” Steve says weakly but the corner of his lip is twitching. Watching Bucky Barnes laugh was exhilarating.

 

“Oh, you.” Bucky sighs and Steve takes a bite of the sandwich. “Is it good?” Steve shows him double thumbs up signs and grins around white bread and a really nice filling.

 

“So,” Bucky carries on, carefree and floating on air. “After this whole Purge thing is over, how about we go to this really nice diner I know— the walls are a soft blue and pink, absolutely lovely— and maybe, perhaps, kind of, grab a bite to eat? Please?” his voice softens, he sounds kinder, somehow. “You’re _lovely_ , Steve.”

 

“Yeah, sure,” he responds, and his heart feels a little lighter because kindness lasts forever and love is so easy to do. “I’d love that.”

 

“After this is all over.”

 

“After this is all over.” Steve promises. 

 

Bucky pulls a phone from his pocket and turns it on, grinning at him. “So. You like ABBA?”

 

Steve looks straight into Bucky Barnes’ eyes and gets caught up in the light and the blue and the flecks of green for the thousandth time this night before grinning, sunshine bright and happy. “Oh, yes, _please_.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading! it would mean a lot if you could click that kudos button and maybe write a comment. sequel, anybody?


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